#109 Maximizing Summer: Effective Planning Tips with Cindy McCormick

Flourish Coaching

Feb 13, 2024

In this episode, Lisa and Cindy discuss:

How to make the most of summer for college-bound teens.
If pay-to-play programs are worth the investment for your student.
No-cost, meaningful summer enrichment options.
When to start making summer plans (and how to ensure your student doesn’t miss their crucial deadlines).

Key Takeaways:

Some summer programs have application deadlines in December, January, or even earlier.
Your student does not need to pay for programs to make their summer an authentic, enriching experience. With a little creativity, there are DIY options they can do that will give them a great experience.
Talk about what your student loves to do and discuss what they get to do, not what they have to do. There are ways to turn their interests into a learning and exploratory experience.
Pay-to-play programs do not guarantee your teen admittance at the college hosting the programs.
Try to balance the important downtime, pay-to-play, and DIY summer learning opportunities. They all offer different experiences and can help your student in different ways.

“Plan ahead. You do you, but think ahead about how you can take advantage of what you love and what you want to explore, then go out and just do something! Don’t languish!” – Cindy McCormick

About Cindy McCormick:

Some people are lucky enough to have a career doing EXACTLY what they were born to do – Cindy is one of them. As a lifetime educator, she thrives on guiding high school students along their paths to college. She has her B.A. in Sociology & Diversified Liberal Arts, a California teaching credential, and a Master’s in Education all from UCLA; an Instructional Writing Certificate from UC Santa Barbara; and a College Counseling Certificate from UC San Diego. Before college advising, she taught school in New York and California and then specialized as an essay coach for a college advising company.

Beyond teaching, Cindy led students on competitive STEM teams and worked with teens as an Eagle Scout project coach. At conferences and professional forums, Cindy shares her experience and knowledge with colleagues by presenting on various subjects, including tailoring counseling approaches to students’ learning styles, producing summer application & essay workshops, and developing a comprehensive and impactful college advising curriculum.

As a mother of five boys, Gifted and Talented educator, autism specialist, and Spanish bilingual instructor, Cindy treasures each person’s unique qualities. What matters most are her relationships with students, helping them discover their potential, and creating personalized college plans.

In her downtime, she loves spending time with her family of boys, running marathons in beautiful places, reading, traveling, and cuddling her fur babies.

Episode References:

Cindy’s list of curated summer programs: https://cindymccormickcollegeadvising.squarespace.com/summer-enrichment

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

https://flourishcoachingco.com/video